23: ARREST

Hwei Ru stares at Li Jun with teary eyes, watching him accept the kiss of Wang Xiu who showed her appreciation for being rescued at the hands of the director. 

This is only a surge of emotion, Hwei Ru tells herself.

Yet, the pain in her heart feels like being punched in the chest. Tears fall and trickle down her cheeks when she turns her gaze away from the two people sharing a moment of haven in each other's arms.

Li Jun likes her, Hwei Ru reminds herself.

The lawyer put her attention on the director, spread on the floor barely unconscious, and can hardly speak from his brutal injuries. His nose is broken and bleeding while his lips are swollen from the punches he received.

"H-H-Help… m-m-me…" The director groans in terrible ache. Pleading at the lawyer beside her. He trusts the woman will be on his side as a client.

"Wang Xiu!!! We need to take Director Lim to the hospital!!!" The lawyer shouts at the woman who looked startled and let go of Li Jun's lips.

"Can you walk, Director Lim? We need to get you to the hospital." Hwei Ru asks, loud and slow, giving depth to every word so that the director can understand her better.

Director Lim merely shakes his head to indicate his answer and wail in agony as every movement from his face sends him to a trail of continuous pain.

Wang Xiu searches for her purse on the floor and gets her phone and dials the number to call the emergency hotline.

"Are you sure we need to send him to the hospital? We should call the police first and get him arrested for trying to rape you." Li Jun suggests, stopping Wang Xiu from calling an ambulance for the director.

"No, we need Director Lim to go to the hospital. The director needs to be given attention first, the police can follow there to question you what happened." Hwei Ru recommends the woman holding the phone. The assault will look unintentional if the police know they were willing to help the director with his injuries.

"She's right, Li Jun. It wouldn't look good if we don't help the director. He tried to violate me and you protected me from him but we can't send him to the police with this kind of injury." Wang Xiu explains to the man crouching on the floor beside the mattress.

"We shouldn't be moving around too. This place will be investigated by the police. They will base your story on the scene." The lawyer suggests bending her knees to sit beside the director.

Wang Xiu calls for the ambulance and relays the injury but not the cause of it. They advise Wang Xiu not to move the director until they arrive because it may add injury to what might be broken to his face. After calling for an ambulance, she called the manager of the hotel to inform him of the incident that happened in the room they occupied. With this kind of circumstance, the press will get hold of the news and they need to contain it fast.

Hwei Ru calls the hotel service to send ice and face towels to the room. They need to treat the swelling and bleeding of the director's cuts and bruises as well as the swollen fist of Li Jun. He still cares3 for him even after what she witnessed.

"R-Ru…" Li Jun calls out the woman's name but she dismisses his gaze and turns her face away. "Ru, please let me explain." The executive pleads.

"Now is not the time, Li Jun." Hwei Ru answers, glancing at her feet with her sight beginning to get cloudy from tears. She wipes it away with the back of her hands and lifts her chin.

"B-But, Hwei Ru…" The executive continues to persuade the lawyer but the woman steps away from Li Jun. 

When he reaches for the woman's hand, Hwei Ru lifts her palm to give him an answer.

!!!PAK!!!

Li Jun's left cheek turns red from the slap he received from Hwei Ru but he didn't mind the pain and proceeds to pursue the woman.

Wang Xiu watches what ensues between Li Jun and Hwei Ru and assumes it's because of the kiss she shared with the executive. When the lawyer slaps the man's hand away to stop him from touching her again, Wang Xiu steps in.

"Li Jun, let's go. We can't stay here." Wang Xiu grabs the executive's arms to urge them to leave. "The police will come here and they will ask questions. It's better if we leave." She adds.

Li Jun steps away and turns in the direction of the door and Wang Xiu follows him out of the room to leave the director and Hwei Ru alone. Outside, Wang Xiu tells Li Jun the details of the event that resulted in Wang Xiu rushing out of her room and bumping into Li Jun. The police will certainly ask questions and it shouldn't look like anything other than her cousin protecting her.

The room service arrives with ice and fresh towels and the manager of the Hotel, Richard Zhou carries them by himself.

"Ms. Zhang Wang Xiu, what on earth is this hell you bring for me today?" The manager inquires, buttoning his crisp black tailored suit and still looking freshly clean with his black brush-up wet hair from the gel that smells like an expensive perfume for men.

"Can we talk somewhere private?" Wang Xiu asks, her voice is stern unlike the cheerful tone of the manager that greeted them.

The manager brings out his gold card from his chest pocket inside his suit. This particular item can access any door or every room in the hotel and Mr.Zhou chose to open the door of an unoccupied room beside Wang Xiu for them to discuss the incident.

Inside, they decided to sit on the couch first before they talked about the occurrence. Wang Xiu rests his body against the cushion of the sofa while Li Jun sits beside her holding the towel with ice on his swollen knuckle.

"Wang Xiu, tell me what happened here. I need every detail." Mr. Zhou asks, standing in front of them. His hands are clasps together on the front of his body, with an impatient look on his face.

"I think we should wait for my lawyer first. Ms. Tang Hiu Ying." Ms. Zhang answers, crossing her legs, her right shoulder still in pain from the director's assault.

For tonight's occasion, she wore casual clothes for the party with the staff and crews. Faded jeans, white coat, and a string strap peach satin top with lace decoration on her chest. Wang Xiu looks like she's wearing a nightgown under her jacket.

"You mean Honey is coming?" Mr. Zhou asks, arching his lips thinly on one side. 

"Yes. I know you would like that." Wang Xiu smirks at the man showing a shy-looking face, on the verge of flushing his cheeks from the knowledge that her best friend is arriving.

The manager has a deep admiration for Ms. Tang Hui Ying, the lawyer celebrity who has a television show giving free legal aids to people who need them. The woman is featured in magazines and other social media platforms. Hui Ying is also called the "The Tiger Empress" for her formidable personality when it comes to her work. Pouncing at her enemies like a hunter.

"What time will Ms. Tang come?" The manager fixes the black tie around his neck to make himself perfectly handsome for the woman.

"About three hours minimum." The female executive answers. "She's taking a private plane from the city." Wang Xiu adds.

"We still have plenty of time. The ambulance will come in ten minutes and the police will follow after thirty. How will you answer them if your lawyer is not here?" Mr. Zhou inquires while keeping himself calm and thinking about the media coming into the hotel.

"We can call Honey or we can record our conversation." Wang Xiu suggests, holding out her phone, ready to call her best friend.

"Honey is on her flight. I don't want to disturb her." The manager replies turning around and begins to pace back and forth in the middle of the room.

"Me too." The woman responds, reaching to her shoulder. She thought of getting to a hospital to have herself checked too.

"I only have one question, you told me on the phone that Mr. Long Li Jun punched Director Ang Lim. Why?" Mr. Zhou stops walking around and stands in front of the woman.

"He tried to rape me." Wang Xiu calmly answers.

"That son of bitch!!! Well, he deserves to be punched!!!." Mr. Wang exclaims, his sudden annoyance towards the incident becomes an outrage towards the director. "You should have called me, I could have got into a little action." He added.

"You could help us with the media." The woman pleads looking worried at the press coming in to asks them about the incident.

"I understand. Power of the media vs the truth. The director will use the press to make you look like the bad guys." The manager understands the situation and shows his sympathy towards his guests.

"Thank you, Richard." Wang Xiu is grateful for having Mr. Zhou on their side.

"Hey, no problem. I'll make sure the press won't see anything other than the good side." The manager reassures them and left the golden card on the table before leaving the room.

"Li Jun, you should call Uncle Liu Wei and Auntie Ming Zhu, before the press finds out about this." Wang Xiu turns to the man beside her, quietly contemplating what happened earlier.

"No. I don't want to make them worry." Li Jun answers and takes a deep breath before exhaling loudly.

The crowd builds up when an ambulance and a police car park their vehicle in front of the hotel and the medical staff carries a stretcher with them. They reach Wang Xiu's room and immediately attend to the director with his body span across the floor.

The police question Ms. Bao Hwei Ru first, who is inside the room while Li Jun and Wang Xiu stand in the hallway waiting for the police to finish their questions on the lawyer. When police tread their feet towards them to talk.

"Are you Mr. Long Li Jun?" A man wearing a blue uniform inquires, standing in front of them.

"Yes, I am." The executive answers, his eyes stare at the officer. 

"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can be used against you in court. You have the right to talk to a lawyer for advice before we ask you any questions. You have the right to have a lawyer with you during questioning. If you cannot afford a lawyer, one will be appointed for you before any questioning if you wish. If you decide to answer questions now without a lawyer present, you have the right to stop answering at any time." The police recite the man's rights in front of him then asks two officers to set handcuff on Li Jun's wrist.

"W-Wait… why is he being arrested?" Wang Xiu raises a question before one of the police officers drags Li Jun away from the hallway into the elevator.

"We are charging him with attempted murder." The police replied.